Part of solving any problem comes down to two things - understanding the difference between responsibility and fault. Fault is about who to blame. Responsibility, in this instance, existential responsibility - our responsibility to ourselves - is what we do for ourselves after we determine who is at fault.
When I was 20 years old I was taking a wrestling class in college and ended up being thrown to the floor and rupturing a disk which compressed my spinal cord and paralyzed me. I literally could not move my legs. The …

I’m a risk taker. I always have been, even as a toddler. As I’ve gotten older the risks have turned from rock climbing, kayaking, hiking and motorcycles to things like intimacy, making friends, being vulnerable - emotional risks. I prefer jumping out of a helicopter on the end of a rope any day. At least once you hit the ground, it’s over - except for the adrenaline rush that feels so good. Emotional vulnerability is like the steps to the pool….slippery and dangerous and meant to be taken with care …

Playing fair is the philosophy of the masses. We give what we get. We treat people like we are treated. They’re good to us, we’re good to them. They treat us right, we treat them right. They mess with us, disappoint us - we do the same or stop dealing with them all together. That’s “only fair,” right? Playing fair - it’s the American way. But is it the best way? Not really. There’s no room for failure in playing fair. If a supplier or colleague has a bad day, …

I blog about homelessness over at Change.org. And I’m not shy about expressing myself or my opinion. That of course brings a lot of criticism and negativity – particularly from those who like to be critical and negative, who enjoy being victims and who enjoy analyzing and criticizing everything I write simply because that is their nature.
So I caught myself tonight and realized I’d fallen back into the old trap of believing that negative people want to change, or that it’s my job to change them. They don’t really …